Currently, it is known to carry out surgical interventions on the blood circulation system of a human being by the endoluminal route.
These methods of treatment and intervention require angiography and angioplasty procedures.
In order to follow the different phases of intervention, it is known for the practitioner to view the treated regions on a medical observation device which displays the treated region on a screen.
In order to allow the blood circulation system to be seen in a satisfactory manner, and in particular the region which is to be treated, it is necessary to inject, during some phases of the intervention and at specific locations, a contrast product which appears in an identifiable manner on the screen.
To this end, the practitioner uses several types of device, depending on the type of operation which has to be carried out or in accordance with the phases of this operation.
In order to inject large volumes of contrast product, in the order of 200 ml, this volume being injected rapidly via a catheter having a small cross-section, the practitioner uses a so-called “high-pressure” injector. An injector of this type is capable of causing the volume of the contrast product to circulate at high speed via the catheter, this high speed being achieved by a high pressure, in the order of 1200 psi (85 bar), in the catheter.
Furthermore, the practitioner is obliged to use a coronary arteriography set which allows smaller quantities of the contrast product to be injected manually by means of a syringe and measurements of artery or vein pressure to be taken. This set generally also allows a cleaning solution to be injected, such as a solution of sodium chloride.
Finally, in order to dilate some arteries or veins whose cross-section can be obstructed by abnormal deposits, the practitioner is obliged to arrange an inflatable balloon in the artery or vein which is to be treated and to connect this balloon to an inflation device which allows the balloon to be pressurised and the artery or vein to be dilated. These inflation devices are suitable for injecting a contrast product at a high pressure, in the order of 30 bar, in order to allow the dilation of the balloon, whilst ensuring that the balloon can be viewed in a satisfactory manner on a screen.
Each of these devices which allows the contrast product to be injected at different pressures is associated with follow-up devices which allow the injection pressure of the contrast product to be measured as well as the duration and number of these injections.
It will be appreciated that the interventions which require angiography and angioplasty procedures use a number of medical devices, thereby complicating the task of the practitioner and making these interventions costly to carry out.